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Psalms 150

KJV · Chapter 150/150

1Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The grand finale of the entire book of Psalms: an explosive, repetitive call to praise God with trumpet, psaltery, harp, tambourine, dance, strings, pipes, and cymbals — concluding with the most all-encompassing phrase of all: 'let everything that has breath praise the Lord.'

Explanation

This final psalm functions as a grand closing doxology not only for the five Hallelujah psalms (146-150), but for the entire book of Psalms as a whole, mentioning practically every type of musical instrument known in Israelite times (wind, strings, percussion) as legitimate ways of expressing praise to God. The final phrase, 'let everything that has breath praise the Lord,' broadens the invitation beyond Israel, beyond instruments, to include every living creature capable of breathing. The application for today is that the ultimate goal of the entire spiritual journey described across the 150 psalms — passing through lament, doubt, war, repentance, and joy — is, in the end, a heart and a life wholly devoted to praise.

Fun facts

  • This psalm mentions at least seven different musical instruments (trumpet, psaltery, harp, tambourine, strings, pipes/flutes, and cymbals), making it one of the most complete lists of instruments in the entire Bible.
  • As the final chapter of the entire book of Psalms, this text is traditionally understood as the climax of the whole emotional journey of the psalter — from the deepest lament (Psalm 88) to the most unrestrained and universal praise.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Psalms 150:1The last psalm in the book opens by naming two places of praise at once: the earthly sanctuary and the cosmic firmament, joining the local and the universal in a single line.
  2. Psalms 150:2Before listing instruments, the psalm gives the reason for praise: God’s mighty acts and the excellence of His greatness, the reason behind all the celebration that follows.
  3. Psalms 150:3“Trumpet” here translates the shofar, a ram’s horn used in ancient rituals and celebrations. It is not a metal instrument like the modern trumpet.
  4. Psalms 150:4The list of instruments continues: timbrel, dance, stringed instruments, and organs, covering practically every category of musical instrument known at the time.
  5. Psalms 150:5Cymbals appear twice in a row, first “loud” then “high sounding,” a rising crescendo of sound just before the psalm’s final verse.
  6. Psalms 150:6This is the final verse of the entire book of Psalms. It sums everything up in a single call: that every living thing, simply for having breath, join in praise — a grand close to the whole book.

Chapters

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